Robert Brewer

How do writers put bread on the table and figure out places to publish their works? This reference resource, republished every year, is a big part of the how. Perusing its listings will put the writer in better shape for publishing her/his works.

The first section of this work (about 900 pages long!) is about the business of writing – how to pitch pieces as a freelance writer and how to manage a business in freelance writing. Although many describe such fodder as “boring,” these details are essential for survival for full-time freelancers. Even for part-time writers like myself, these pieces of advice – each written by a different writer – can teach me how to interact with editors and thus to get published more readily.

The remaining sections of the book consist of short ads for literary agents, book publishers, consumer magazines, trade journals, and contests/awards. Each section provides the essential (and only the essential) information on how to submit a query or a manuscript to the right publisher.

Interestingly, there are different flavors of the Writer’s Market depending on your particular literary approach. For instance, there are field-specific guides to poetry, children’s books, novel and short stories, and literary agents. These provide more listings specific to one’s business need.

Overall, this work is essential to writers seeking to produce.… (more)

I picked up a copy of this at the library the other day, mostly to look at the articles in the front of the book. They seemed dated to me, possibly even obsolete. I feel that Writer's Market should do more to examine and address recent and ongoing changes in the world of publishing, things like what the growth of e-books means for authors and publishers. The article about building a platform started to talk about some of the uses of the internet, but wasn't enough, and I'd seen better articles on the same subject elsewhere.

The listings are probably OK, but the format is obsolete and people should be looking for this information on line.… (more)